Bleeding Hearts
by Reflection of My Tears
Summary: Love hurts. It makes your heart bleed. It leaves scars, scars that no medicine cat can heal. It gives you shock, anger, hapiness, grief. It can leave a hole in your heart that will heal over time, or remain there forever. Collection of songfics. Plz R&R..


_**EF (Eaglesflight): Yes, I am doing Warriors Songfics as well! This is AshSquirellBramble with the song "Apologize," by Timbaland frt. One republic. READ!! By the way, this one may be the same as in my story "Oneshots". **_

"I'm sorry, Ashfur, but Brambleclaw and I, we were meant to be!" Squirrellflight meowed.

"But I love you!" The gray warrior protested.

"Yes, but we can still be friends, right?" her plea was heard by Ashfur, but his mouth was strewn shut. The only thing that gave away the fact that he was still alive was the anger and hurt sparkling in his eyes. Then there was a rustle and a dark tabby warrior stepped out of the Warriors Den.

"Brambleclaw!" Squirrellflight exclaimed happily, touching noses with him.

"Do you want to go hunting?" he asked.

"Sure! Bye, Ashfur," she sighed.

"What has he done _this _time?" Brambleclaw hissed in undertones as the two walked away, tails entwined.

"I told him that I still wanted to be his friend, but he doesn't want to listen."

Ashfur glared, words running through his head, he murmured them aloud as he pushed his way into the Warriors Den.

"_I'm holding on your rope_

_Got me ten feet off the ground_

_I'm hearing what you say_

_But I just can't make a sound_

_You tell me that you need me_

_Then you go and cut me down, but wait_

_You tell me that you're sorry_

_Didn't think I'd turn around, and say…"_

Ashfur broke off as Cloudtail approached with Brightheart.

"Hey, Ashfur, do you want to come hunting with us?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I believe I have some long awaited training to do with my apprentice," Ashfur said bluntly, and then nodding curtly to each warriors, he got to his paws and walked off to find his brown apprentice.

"Birchpaw!" he called sharply into the Apprentices Den.

"Yes, Ashfur?" answered a young voice belonging to a brown shape that was slithering out of the den.

"Come on. We have training to do."

"Okay!"

As Ashfur walked off with his apprentice, he felt words for the song he was singing earlier gnawing at him, and he just had to let it out.

"Uh…Birchpaw? There's been a…er…um…slight revolutionize of plans. How's about you go back to the apprentices den and get some rest, because, after all, our injuries from the badger fight haven't perfectly healed yet," he ventured.

"Um…okay, Ashfur," Birchpaw replied, sounding a bit uncertain.

As soon as his apprentice was out of hearing range, the grief-stricken gray warrior advanced deeper into the forest, murmuring words.

"…_It's too late to apologise, it's too late_

_I said it's too late to apologise, it's too late…"_

Ashfur slowly walked on and on, further into the forest in ThunderClan territory. Just then he heard voices.

"I hope he forgives me. I mean, can't he just accept the fact that we're never going to be together but I am still willing to be his friend?" That voice was Squirrellflight's.

"I don't know. But at this rate he will never forgive either of us and just continue hating us until either we break up for real or he dies." That was Brambleclaw's.

Ashfur's eyes instinctively narrowed as he heard the tabby tom's voice.

"Do you think-" Squirrellflight started but broke off as Ashfur jumped out of the bushes, snarling with hurt and grief raw in his blue eyes.

"No, I will not forgive you!" he snarled at the ginger she-cat. "And **you**," he spat at Brambleclaw. "You will turn out just like you're father! Tigerstar was a traitor, and you will be too!"

"Wha-"

"Not another word! I have something to say to you, Squirrellflight!" he hissed, then continued his song of pain.

"_I'd take another chance, take a fall_

_Take a shot for you_

_And I need you like a heart needs a beat_

_But it's nothing new –yeah yeah-_

_I loved you with a fire red-_

_Now it's turning blue, and you say…_

'_Sorry' like the angel heaven let me think was you_

_But I'm afraid…"_

Then Ashfur turned around and stalked off, leaving the two hanging as he shouldered his way through clumps of bracken. His eyes filled with tears, but he blinked them back. How could he have been so _mouse-brained?! _Thinking that Squirrellflight felt the same way?! He wished!

"Even I can't argue with Starclan," Dustpelt remarked.

But Ashfur stood up defiantly and faced his flame-coloured leader. "Well I can! Doesn't any cat find it interesting that Leafpool, being Squirrellflight's sister, is receiving signs from StarClan about Brambleclaw, Squirrellflight's mate?!"

Leafpool looked shocked. Squirrellflight, on the other hand, was glaring daggers at the gray warrior. Firestar was simply staring at him. Then his emerald eyes narrowed.

Ashfur saw that it was a sign of dominance and quietly stalked into the warriors den, murmuring more words to his mournful song.

"…_It's too late too apologize, it's too late_

_I said it's too late too apologize…"_

Ashfur was standing in a vast wilderness. Shadows slipped silently in and out of the dark trees. Darkness claimed everything here. There was not one sliver of light to see. Tall trees towered everywhere he looked, so he could not tell which way he was going. A crescent moon floated overhead, yet there was something strange about it. It looked much closer than usual, and instead of looking like it was smiling down upon him, it looked more like a glare. It was tinted with blackness, and looked like it was made of metal. Ashfur shivered. This place had a cold aura around it. He started to pad forward, the icy cold seeping into his paws and up his body, sending another quiver down his spine. All the trees looked the same, so he was beginning to think that he was going in circles, slowly getting more and more lost in the everlasting maze of oaks.

Ashfur could just make out the faint outline of what seemed to be a cat through the thick darkness. "Squirrellflight?" he meowed hopefully into the cold, dark night. No answer came, only an eerie silence. The figure looked back at him, curled its lip in a snarl and bounded away, fading from sight until it was swallowed up by darkness. "Squirrellflight, wait!" Ashfur yowled; blundering through the gloomy undergrowth after the feline that he thought was the dark ginger she-cat. "I'm sorry about what I said! I'll still forgive you! I love you! SQUIRRELLFLIGHT!"

But she just kept on going, on and on until the gray warrior's legs ached, and every muscle screamed at him to stop, he kept running, chasing after his one and only true love. The she-cat who held his heart. He had given it to her, thinking she felt the same way, but instead Squirrellflight had just thrown that away. Shattered his heart, broken his trust. But yet, he still loved her. He loved her more than anything, but she loved Brambleclaw, not him. He still loved her, and he didn't know why.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Squirrellflight stopped. As silvery moon beams filtered through the treetops, Ashfur only then realized that it was not Squirrellflight. Broad shoulders framed its muscular brown tabby body, and long claws that ended with deadly points gleamed in the moonlight. A 'v' shaped cut was embedded in its ear, and a sneer was entrenched on its battle-scarred face. Ashfur's blood froze. He knew who this cat was. It was Tigerstar.

The evil, ambitious tom turned his head and his amber eyes lit up with a cold, spiteful joy. Ashfur turned to see what Tigerstar was looking at and let out a choked gasp. One broad-shouldered cat stood over two limp figures. Both had fiery ginger pelts and dull emerald eyes. They were motionless and a scarlet substance stained their fur, gushing out of fatal wounds that marked their lean bodies. They were obviously kin. The larger one had a sense of power around him, and muscles lined his coat. His emerald eyes were dull and sightless. He was dead. The other was still alive, but barely. She had wounds all over her slender figure. They both seemed familiar from somewhere, but he couldn't remember where. Green eyes glared up at her attacker, brimming with hatred as she fought to regain her breath. Her flanks heaved with the effort, but she managed to form words.

"Why...? Why did you have to do this?" tears formed in her dimming eyes and one slipped over the edge, trickling down her cheek before dripping into the pool of blood that surrounded her and the other cat.

"Don't you see, Squirrellflight? Now that Firestar is dead, and I shall be pronounced leader, Hawkfrost and I can rule the forest together, just as father planned!" his voice was harsh and saturated with malice. He looked down at Squirrellflight as she spoke again.

"You…you monster! I thought I loved you, not Ashfur, and that you would escape you fathers terrible heritage! But obviously I was wrong! You're nothing but a murderer and a traitor, just like Tigerstar! You should be exiled, or killed!"

The tom laughed, a cruel smile splitting across his muzzle. "Brave words, Squirrellflight. But, I'm sad to say, I can't let you escape with your life, seeing as you will snitch on me. Say your last words!"

And with that he leapt on top of her and fastened his teeth around her neck. Then, there was a sickening crunch as his jaws closed, biting through flesh and bone. Crimson blood flew into the air, raining down on the three. The tom lifted his head, blood dripping from his jaws, and Ashfur got his first good look at the murderer. He was a large tabby with broad shoulders, and his amber eyes sparkled with malevolence as he turned to look at the gray warrior whose fur had turned silver in the moonlight. Long claws were stained with blood, and the same scarlet essence coaxed his powerful teeth. Ashfur recognized the cat at once, and his heart turned to ice.

"Now I will reign supreme, ruling the forest with my half-brother! Nothing can stop me!" the tom yowled triumphantly as he tossed the limp body of Squirrellflight away with a flick of his claws.

It was Brambleclaw.

Ashfur woke with a start, sweat dripping down his brow.

"It was just…a dream…" he whispered, the image of Brambleclaw clear in his mind. It had been so vivid he could taste it; he could still feel the sticky essence of blood in his fur.

"-Yawn- morning, Bramble!"

"Morning."

Ashfur looked to the other side of the den and instinctively his eyes narrowed into a glare. Two cats were lying together, grooming each others fur. The she-cat had her head resting on the toms shoulder as he affectionately licked her ear.

"I'm looking forward to today," she murmured, snuggling closer into his fur.

"Yeah. So am I," the tom replied, yawning.

"Your first day as deputy."

The tom was a large, broad-shouldered brown tabby tom with amber eyes that sparkled as he looked down at the she-cat. She had a dark-ginger pelt and green eyes that gleamed with warmth as she gazed up at her lover.

"I love you, Squirrellflight."

"I love you too, Brambleclaw."

Ashfur raced through the forest, a cruel smile on his face. His plan was _perfect_! Hawkfrost was a genius! Brambleclaw would be accused of treachery, and Squirrellflight would finally be his! He shouldered his way through the last clump of bracken and his dark blue eyes met what they wanted to see. A ginger tom lay on his side, limbs jerking uncontrollably as he fought to regain breath. A thin silver tendril was wrapped around his neck, choking him. Emerald eyes met with dark blue. But there was no pleading in the green gaze, just a fierce, proud question;

_Is this how far your jealousy goes?_

Ashfur turned to see his brown apprentice staring at him with terror-filled eyes.

"You played your part well, Birchpaw. Now all I need to do is get Squirrellflight and then she will be mine!"

"I didn't know that this is what you were planning! I thought that Blackstar really was on our territory!"

"Come, Birchpaw," Ashfur instructed, ignoring the apprentice's mew of distress. "Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost are already there."

He let instinct take over, pushing fear into his eyes and scent as he raced back to camp. But he went more slowly this time, letting his plan unravel… By the time he reached the hollow he even convinced himself he was frightened. As he neared the ThunderClan encampment voices reached his ears.

"Of course, but where are we going?" Ashfur knew that voice off by heart. It was Squirrellflight.

Then there was the gentle voice of Leafpool. It was shriller and more high-pitched then usual.

"I don't know! Oh, StarClan, show us the way!"

He pushed through the last clump of bracken, eyes wide and fur on end as he came face-to-face with the two she-cats.

"Leafpool!" he panted. "Its Firestar…he's caught in a fox trap!"

"Where? Why didn't you get him out?" Squirrellflight insisted, fur starting to bristle.

"Because he's…Brambleclaw is there too," to make it more believable, Ashfur gulped for air as if he had just got dragged out of the icy torrent of the lake. "And Hawkfrost is with him-a RiverClan cat on our territory. I couldn't take them both at once. I had to come for help. That way. Hurry!"

They ran all the way back towards the shore of the lake, all three of them panting. By the time the last fronds of grass waved and they burst through, Ashfur's plan was complete. Or so he thought…

Firestar still lay on his side, but he did not move. No more did his limbs jerk, ineffectively trying to free him. Nor did his jaws open and close a countless number of times, feebly hoping to draw in air. His normally gleaming emerald eyes were closed. Through his fiery ginger fur Ashfur could just make out the scarlet substance of blood on his neck. Brambleclaw stood rigid beside him, paws matted with blood and amber eyes cast downwards. Ashfur stifled an evil grin. His plan had worked! But not in the way he had intended. Leafpool opened her mouth, but before a word could escape her muzzle, Firestar spoke, stirring and opening his eyes.

"Leafpool," he wheezed. "It's okay. Hawkfrost set a trap for me, but Brambleclaw killed him."

Ashfur's smile vanished. Brambleclaw had killed _Hawkfrost?!_ I couldn't be true! Four pairs of eyes turned towards the lake where the blood was thick on the ground. Leafpool padded forward and the blood lapped at her paws.

"_Before all is peaceful, blood will spill blood and the lake will run red," _she whispered, and Ashfur had no clue what it meant. But then he followed her gaze and his heart sank as he found out where the blood was coming from. Hawkfrost's dark tabby body lay on the lakeshore, blood still flowing from a wound on his throat. The blood was like a scarlet cloud, being washed away with the tide. Ashfur's plan had failed, and he had lost Squirrellflight forever.

_It's too late to apologize, it's too late_

_I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late_

_It's too late to apologize –yeeaaah-_

_I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late_

_I'm holding on your rope _

_Got me ten feet off the ground_

_**EF: So, did you like it? Plz review and tell me what you thought! By the way, the next chappy will be SquirrellBramble to the song 'Bleeding Love' by Leona Lewis!**_


End file.
